A brief overview of the Mussel industry in Maine

Newell, Carter R

English

University of Maine

The University of MaineDigitalCommons@UMaineAnnual Maine Aquaculture R&D and EducationSummits Conferences and Summits1-14-20152015 AQ Summit: Mussels Sub-sector UpdateCarter R. NewellPemaquid Oyster Company, musselsandoysters@gmail.comFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/ari_rd-edPart of the Aquaculture and Fisheries CommonsThis Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Annual MaineAquaculture R&D and Education Summits by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contactum.library.technical.services@maine.edu.Repository CitationNewell, Carter R., "2015 AQ Summit: Mussels Sub-sector Update" (2015). Annual Maine Aquaculture R&D and Education Summits.18.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/ari_rd-ed/18Maine	  Mussel	  Farming	  Industry,	  value,	  produc7on	  technology,	  bo:lenecks	  Carter	  Newell,	  Ph.D,	  President,	  Pemaquid	  Mussel	  Farms,	  Pemaquid	  Oyster	  Company,	  Adjunct	  faculty	  UM	  Marine	  Sciences,	  Civil	  Engineering	  •  Maine	  and	  U.S.	  mussel	  produc7on	  and	  consump7on	  •  Culture	  technology:	  site	  selec7on,	  seed	  collec7on,	  harves7ng,	  processing	  •  How	  the	  big	  boys	  do	  it	  •  Improving	  aquaculture	  equipment	  •  Bo:lenecks	  	  •  Future	  direc7ons	  Maine	  and	  U.S.	  mussel	  produc7on	  and	  consump7on	  	  Culture	  technology	  	  Bo:om	  culture	  	  (limited	  wild	  seed	  dragged	  oﬀ	  wild	  beds	  –	  low	  cost	  high	  volume	  –	  eider	  ducks	  –	  starﬁsh	  -­‐	  conﬂicts	  with	  clammers,	  wild	  ﬁsheries	  	  and	  worm	  diggers)	  	  RaU	  culture	  (abundant	  natural	  seed	  –	  high	  cost	  of	  gear	  –	  risk	  of	  storm	  damage	  –	  eider	  ducks	  –	  starﬁsh)	  	  	  Longline	  culture	  (most	  eﬃcient	  –	  can	  be	  used	  oﬀshore	  –	  exposed	  to	  duck	  preda7on)	  	  Site Selection: Currents can`t be too high or too low Mussel	  raU	  culture	  processes:	  Seed	  Collec7on	  •  Right	  density	  on	  rope	  –	  2-­‐5,000	  per	  foot	  of	  collector	  •  Right	  7ming	  of	  rope	  deployment:	  late	  June	  •  Right	  temperature	  and	  food	  for	  growth	  to	  seed	  size:	  ½	  inch	  to	  1	  inch	  long.	  •  MAIC	  study:	  not	  all	  sites	  are	  good	  for	  seed	  collec7on.	  Starﬁsh	  also	  a	  big	  factor.	  	  Coiled	  ropes	  collect	  more	  seed.	  •  Can	  collect	  it	  from	  	  predator	  nets	  and	  harvest	  lines.	  •  Seed	  a:ached	  to	  lines	  using	  biodegradable	  co:on	  •  Some	  people	  are	  experimen7ng	  with	  hatcheries	  but	  the	  ﬁnal	  value	  of	  a	  mussel	  ($.10	  each)	  makes	  it	  cost	  prohibi7ve	  currently	  Mussel	  ra)	  culture	  processes:	  harves1ng,	  processing.	  Harvesting and processing at sea: declumping, debyssing  .  How	  do	  the	  BIG	  BOYS	  do	  it!	  Tech	  transfer	  visit	  to	  Northwest	  Spain:	  Galicia	  Annual	  harvest	  300,000	  metric	  tons	  Boats	  Basket	  stripper	  Grading	  into	  3	  sizes	  mussels	  moved	  using	  nets	  	  Stripper	  mounted	  on	  block	  	  Materials	  Handling:	  Bulk	  bags	  and	  nets	  Mussels	  on	  nets	  Graded	  seed	  Bulk	  bag	  into	  retubing	  machine	  New	  gear	  design	  to	  allow	  for	  farming	  more	  exposed	  waters	  farther	  from	  shore	  •  USDA	  SBIR	  Phase	  II	  Development	  of	  a	  submersible	  mussel	  raU	  for	  use	  in	  semi-­‐exposed	  areas	  and	  areas	  subject	  to	  driU	  ice	  •  Pemaquid	  Mussel	  Farms,	  2013	  •  Research	  Partners:	  U.	  Maine	  AEWC,	  UNH	  Ocean	  Engineering,	  Blue	  Hill	  Hydraulics	  	  •  Commercializa7on	  partners:	  E.J.Presco:,	  S7llwater	  Metalworks,	  Subsalve	  USA,	  Kenway	  Corp.	  •  MTI	  Phase	  O,	  Business	  Accelera7on	  Grants	  	  •  Provisional	  patent	  ﬁled	  March	  2014	  •  First	  commercial	  scale	  35	  ton	  raU	  submerged	  December	  2014	  Poten7al	  100	  jobs	  created	  and	  $10	  million	  in	  annual	  economic	  ac7vity	  Bo:lenecks	  •  Having	  uniform	  graded	  seed	  available	  at	  a	  low	  cost	  in	  the	  spring	  and	  fall	  of	  each	  year	  •  Op7mal	  raU	  culture	  systems	  including	  moorings,	  cost,	  eﬃcient	  predator	  net	  handling	  and	  maintenance,	  no	  storm	  loss	  or	  drop-­‐oﬀ	  of	  mussels	  from	  ropes.	  •  Processing	  machinery	  including	  harves7ng,	  stripping,	  declumping	  (brushes),	  grading,	  debyssing,	  bagging	  •  Ports	  to	  unload	  at	  	  •  New	  value	  added	  products	  such	  as	  modiﬁed	  atmosphere	  packs	  or	  high	  pressure	  shucking	  	  	  Future	  Direc*ons:	  	  Where	  do	  we	  go	  from	  here?	  •  Reduce	  risk	  with	  improved	  technology	  and	  site	  selec7on	  (submersible	  raUs	  for	  semi-­‐exposed	  sites,	  improved	  mooring	  systems,	  ShellGIS,	  coastal	  mapping	  with	  EPSCoR	  oceanography)	  •  Increase	  eﬃciency	  	  (brush	  declumpers,	  seed	  collec7on,	  automa7on,	  longline	  system?)	  •  Possible	  co-­‐loca7on	  of	  mussel	  and	  wind	  farms	  oﬀshore	  (ducks?)	  •  Technology	  transfer,	  extension,	  food	  processing	  (UM	  test	  kitchen?)	  •  Business	  planning	  and	  marke7ng	  	  •  We	  can	  grow	  it,	  the	  market	  is	  there,	  what	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  are	  we	  wai7ng	  for?	  

2015 AQ Summit: Mussels Sub-sector Update

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1012&amp;context=ari_rd-ed

2015 AQ Summit: Mussels Sub-sector Update

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